ArticleBMC public health2025
Weight stigma in adolescents: sex differences, prevalence, emotional impact, and associations with BMI increases - a retrospective cohort study.
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- When adolescents look at their bodies: Individual and social explanations for the dissatisfaction with what they see-A cross-sectional study.Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique · 2026Article
- Weight self-stigma, weight bias internalization, and eating attitudes in relation to body appreciation.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundWeight stigma is an important public health concern due to its association with increased stress and adverse health outcomes, including poor metabolic health and weight gain. This study aimed to investigate the frequency and emotional impact of perceived weight stigma (PWS) during adolescence and its association with weight changes into young adulthood, with a focus on sex differences. We hypothesised that a high frequency of PWS during adolescence correlates with an increased emotional impact of PWS, that there are variations in PWS between sexes, and that PWS is associated with increased weight gain for both sexes.
methodsA total of 2,466 young adults from Denmark were recruited for this cohort study. Participants recalled PWS from ages 15-20 via self-reported questionnaires at the ages 32/38. Self-reported weight and height were collected at age 21 and again at 32/38, allowing for calculation of BMI changes during follow-up (n = 1,772). For analysis, weight change was operationalised as a binary outcome: large BMI increases (above the 80th percentile) vs. all other. Logistic regression was used to examine the sex-specific frequency and emotional impact of PWS alongside BMI increases.
resultsFemales reported significantly higher frequencies of PWS than males (0.5; 95% CI [0.27, 0.73]; p < 0.001). While females generally experienced higher emotional impact, males who reported high levels of emotional impact from stigma exhibited comparable risks of large BMI increases (
conclusionsThe study confirms that weight stigma during adolescence is associated with significant weight increases in young adulthood in both sexes. Although females report more frequent and emotionally impactful experiences, males showed similar adverse BMI increases. These findings underscore the importance of considering sex-specific patterns in future research on long-term consequences of weight stigma.
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